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Saturday, June 23, 2012

A Summer Favorite

The summer heat has settled in and what bloom symbolizes tropical weather better than the hibiscus? Perennial and annual hibiscus were plentiful at our visit last week to the Atlanta Botanical Garden.

I was enthralled with these blooms and didn't realize until we got home how many shots I actually had taken of these beauties.

These massive blooms are a summertime favorite of hummingbirds and bees. The long pistil and stamens provide easy access to the nectar.

Not only are hibiscus a great food source for pollinators, we use them medicinally and they have culinary uses as well. They can be used to help lower high blood pressure, reduce fevers and relieve coughs. It is often used as a diuretic and is high in Vitamin C and minerals.

Hibiscus tea is delicious hot or cold and has a smooth, delicious taste. Here is an easy recipe to make your own tea.

Hibiscus Tea

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil

Add 8 large hibiscus flowers and 1-2 cinnamon sticks

Cover and allow it to steep for 15-20 minutes (note do no leave the flowers in longer than 20 minutes; it will result in a bitter tasting tea. For stronger tea add more blooms)

Strain the tea into a pitcher and add juice of a lemon, honey or sugar to taste.

Serves 4. Enjoy!

The swamp hibiscus (I think they call this the Texas Star in Texas) is a cold hardy perennial (zone 6 and above) that is native to Eastern U.S. It likes damp soil (a no brainer considering its name) and grows in sun to part sun. Mine seems to be happy in part sun. They do have some height to them. They can grow up to 10 feet tall so a location that is protected from the wind is beneficial.

Hibiscus flowers remind me of Mother's Day. We used to buy plants for my mom in New Orleans. All the photos look exquisite in the light box view. In New Mexico, we call hibiscus tea, Jamaica (the "j" is pronounced like an "h"). I had a tall refreshing glass today.

You do have some pretty and bright colors here. I like the Texas Star the best. It might be because it is so different from what I accustomed to seeing. Mine have yet to set bud, but I always look forward to them. Of course it is not the tropical varieties though.

I think Hibiscus are seductive...love their blooms. I had H. coccinea in VA that got over 13 feet tall....stopped measuring after that! I brought seeds with me but haven't done much with them yet. Need to plant some!!

Hi Karin ! Thanks for the visit to my blog... I did not know your blog had a new url address.Gorgeous Hibiscus genera...Have you got by any chance the latin name of the last one of the sery, the one you called 'Swamp Hibicus'. Thank you so much. See you soonGabriel

That is beautiful and I don't have any..I just wanted to respond to the comment about the waterfowl being taken by predators. I would feel better if it were normal, but all of these ponds are mowed to the water and provide no cover for waterfowl to hide it. Many have wood around as a border leaving young waterfowl unable to get out and splash until grabbed and drowned. Out of 8 nesting mallard hens X 10 ducklings this season there are only 2 ducklings left and I don't expect them to survive either..Oh then there was the year someone shot all the geese on this pond and left dead and dying geese for my husband to remove..none of this is natural except for the hawks.....Michelle

Lovely hibiscus and they have some similarities to our hardy ones here up N. Mine will bloom in another few weeks and I love taking loads of pictures. I drink lots of hibiscus tea especially in the summer over ice.

Welcome to Southern Meadows

At Southern Meadows we garden for wildlife. Located in northeast Georgia in eco-region 231 (Southeasst Mixed Forest Province) / zone 8a on 10 acres of meadow and forest habitat. I’m Karin, gardener, photographer and writer. I hope you enjoy a little taste of Georgia and will come back and visit often. xo!

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NABA Butterfly Count

The NABA Memorial Day Count (in the United States) will be held May 27-29, 2017. All you need to do is to observe butterflies at one or more of your favorite butterflying localities (such as your own backyard) this coming Memorial Day weekend and note what butterflies you’ve seen. There are no requirements regarding how much time or area you cover. Then go to the NABA web site, www.naba.org, and from there to the Recent Sightings (sightings.naba.org) web page and enter your report, filling in the location, date, and butterflies seen.